You Can Choose to Love

I’m extremely tired of people like Melissa Ryan, blind to their own ignorance and quick to boast their laughable opinions [“I Don’t Want to Help You,” Letters, Jan. 29, City Weekly].

Who knew that all someone needed to do was just go tell the homeless to go get real jobs—as opposed to fake jobs. Then, magically, the world would be rid of all “bummery” and real people like Ryan could forever grocery shop in peace, knowing that they won’t be so terribly bothered.

Isn’t all that loose change she stuffs into the Salvation Army buckets each December enough of a charitable contribution for them? Can they not see that it really bugs her to have to acknowledge their existence? Ryan makes no reference to the many deep-rooted causes of homelessness— including, but not limited to, the overwhelming presence of mental or chronic illness in correlation with the denial of basic healthcare services and the unethical abandonment of our brave veterans, many of whom deal with debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder and life-threatening ailments.

Ryan makes no mention of addiction, domestic and sexual abuse, and absentee parents, and failed to recognize that the scarcity of social services available to aid these people have all but disappeared in this failing economy. Ryan hit one nail right on the head, though: “I know that makes me sound like a heartless bitch …” She’s right; it does. As easily as you can choose to hate, you can choose to love. A person is still a person, no matter how poor and pathetic people like Ryan believe them to be. We all must open our eyes to the cancerous apathy that has led to the deterioration of our most basic of morals. We live in the so-called greatest country in the world, yet we remain plagued by such foolishness.

Melissa Ryan ought to be ashamed of her beliefs, but instead she’s eager to spread hatred and ridiculousness. God help us all!

KRISTIN TRUMBlE

Murray